


Mushroom Boy

by ForgetThatImHerePlease



Category: DreamSMP, Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: <3, Dream SMP Spoilers, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, George is a sleepy boy, Light Angst, Mild Intrusive Thoughts, One Shot, mushroom!George, take this losers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-10
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-17 12:21:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,652
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29966322
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ForgetThatImHerePlease/pseuds/ForgetThatImHerePlease
Summary: Waking up is really just like falling asleep, a soft lulling motion. You don’t even realize it’s happened. The transition from dream to reality. From slumber to existence. A moment of limbo before everything in your life comes crashing back.‘Mushrooms eat dead things’ a voice inside his head thinks. ‘Then why do they grow off my arms?’ George wonders what death feels like. An intangible world between his own. Falling asleep is the closest thing he can get to this. Falling. Stumbling. His leg kicked himself awake again.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 56





	Mushroom Boy

Waking up is really just like falling asleep, a soft lulling motion. You don’t even realize it’s happened. The transition from dream to reality. From slumber to existence. A moment of limbo before everything in your life comes crashing back.

‘Mushrooms eat dead things’ a voice inside his head thinks. ‘Then why do they grow off my arms?’ George wonders what death feels like. An intangible world between his own. Falling asleep is the closest thing he can get to this. Falling. Stumbling. His leg kicked himself awake again.

There’s an instant. A single moment, right after closing his eyes. Nothing. No thoughts. No consciousness. Suspended in this instant for a single infinity. A single second.

George wakes to grass under his hands, dirt under his nails. He coughs aggressively as he sits up, sunshine blinding him. After stumbling for his glasses for a moment and shoving them on his face, he looks around. Tall grass, flowers and bushes circle around him, creating a cocoon of life. 

He stands, brushing off the mud from his knees. He wipes a bead of sweat from his chin, the air was hot and sticky. Waking mid day was a common occurrence, he had simply fallen asleep here hours ago, being kicked awake elsewhere.

His shoulder bag knocks against his thigh as he walks the rest of the way down the path, thick pine trees impeding on his path. He kicks at a few rocks, taking his time and enjoying the sunlight on his neck and shoulders. His hand twitches, a phantom hand touching him. There’s nothing there. ‘Please don’t’ he thinks to himself as he steps onto the Prime path. He scrapes the mud of his tattered boots, adjusting the laces before towards the city.

L’Manburg stands tall in the afternoon light, their prideful banners swaying in the soft breeze. The dark oak posts making up the foundation of the majority of the buildings have been bleached by the sun, having stood for so long.

Tubbo waves as George passes by, his button down is clean, his tie flat against his chest. They’re too far to be heard, but George can make out Tommy laughing at what he can only assume is his own joke. A flicker of-

George runs directly into Karl, who has his back to the main path. “Oh! Sorry!”

“No, I wasn’t looking out,” George adjusts his glasses.

“George!!” Sapnap appears from behind Karl, he hugs George, who laughs into it. “Have you seen Dream yet?”

“No, I was just heading to see him now,” George pushes Sapnap off him, adjusting his bag again.

“If we wait for Big Q we can go together,” Karl pats George on the back, his hand lingering for a moment on the strap of the satchel. “You should wait with us.”

“Where’d he gone off to?” George fixes his bag again. Then his glasses.

“Schlatt and him were over by the church earlier, but I think there’s coming from the nether now.”

“Alright, alright.” George itches his nose. His hand tickles. Grass?

“Did I hear my name?” Quackity says, running down the path, Schlatt a few paces back, hands shoved in his pokeds, cigarette between his teeth.

“I actually don’t think you did,” Sapnap elbows him once Q is close enough. They jokingly shove at each other for a minute. George watches from a distance. They never get him involved.

The four of them walk down the path together, laughing at jokes that Big Q said, giving his newest impressions. He’s gotten rather good at Wilbur. ‘Oy taboo, les duet.’ They pass Tommy’s dirt shack, Punz’s house, then church Prime. George menatlly writes down the different people they passed. Niki outside her shop. Ranboo placing illiums outside Church prime- no… outside Tommy’s house. Were those scars new?

Dream stands proudly under the doorframe of the community house. He wavs at the group as they approached. His shield lay propped up against the door, the X shining in the light. As the group got closer, Foolish walked out from the second floor of the building, whispering something to Dream, then walking off to the portal. 

Dream adjusted his mask. “You guys ready?”

“I am, but I don’t know about these idiots,” Karl jabs his thumb at Sapnap and Q, who both ruffel his hair in retaliation.

“You ready?” Dream asked in a softer tone to George.

“Yeah.

They all began walking towards Eret’s castle, towards the forest. The beacon’s light bouncing off their faces, creating their own personal neon show. “What did foolish want?” George asked, pushing his hair out from under his glasses.

“Who?”

~~

The forest bloomed around them. The SMP had always had a strange mix of flora. Human sized flowers sprouted from the ground. Mushrooms grew from the available space between trees. After each one of Georges steps a pad a moss flourished in his footsteps.

The group walked into a small clearing, a fire already burning, tents propped up and popcorn ready to be eaten. 

The night came in flashes, laughing that was almost painful, popcorn being thrown around, watching sapnap and Big Q chasing each other with burning sticks. Karl making them all do karaoke, Dream refusing to do said karaoke. Watching the sky shift into purple hues as it becomes late. Fireflies emerging to join the stars. Grass against all of their back as they lie under the dark night.

Their hands locked together in the color air, their shoulders pressed together. Their last laugh is still lingering in the air.

“Why don’t we do this more?” Someone asks, maybe it was George.

“You guys are always busy.” someone says, almost certainly George.

“I’m sorry we’re not all insomniacs like you.” 

Someone squeezes George’s hand.

Hours pass, no one gets up to use the tents, Sapnap curls up against Karl, and Big Q sleeps like a starfish, legs and arms everywhere. George’s hand is still in Dream’s.

“Are you not going to sleep?” Dream asks, letting go and rolling his side to look at George.

“You know me.” George says, mirroring Dream.

“Mm true.” Dream moves George's glasses off his face. “You always wear these. It’s not even bright.”

George squints, he can feel the sunlight against his eyes, even in the pitch black darkness. He takes back his glasses, putting them back on.

“I just like them.”

George wants to ask something. Not to dream. Not to _him._ But to someone, and Dream is the only person listening. So he lets the moment pass, he lets himself forget what he was going to say.

“I don’t like waking up.” George sighs.

“Huh?” Dream asks.

“Sorry- I don’t like falling asleep, everything seems like a nightmare.”

“That’s okay, when you wake up, I’ll be here. We’ll all be here.”

“I know you guys will be there…” So George closes his eyes, wondering what dying feels like. In that exact moment he’s suspended. Then-

George wakes up to sunlight in his eyes, his glasses in his lap. He knocks his head back against the structure he had decided to nap against. His hands run over the grass, damp with dew.

He stands, adjusting his bag.

“Hate being awake.” He says to no one, turning to face the building.

The entrance of the prison stands looming in front of him, the loud humming of the inner portal drowns out all other noise. He knows who’s inside. ‘I suppose it’s time’ he thinks to himself. Each step on the glassy floor gives a soft clicking noise.

“I hate falling asleep.” He says to one person.

~~

The heat of the lava was more than he thought it would be. Standing two feet from death was a strange experience. George had obviously been in life of death situations, but most of the time it wasn’t as tangible as this.

“You ready?” Sam asks, hand already on the lever.

Dream would be on the other side. ‘No’ the voice in his head says. ‘No no no-’

“Yes” he says, adjusting his posture. His hands grasp at the ends of each of his sleeves. He had to leave his 404 t-shirt in his locker. Along with his bag and other non essential items.

Sam shoves down the switch, a large ‘thump’ echoes through the dark room. “Keep facing forward please.”

George turns back around, not even aware that he had turned away from the lava. The magma moves slowly down, George wonders what it's like to touch it.

After several agonizing moments it falls below his eye line and he can see across the vast pool. Dream watches him, his eyes locked onto him, not blinking until George tears his own eyes away. He goes to adjust his bag again, but finding nothing there he grasps at his oversized button down. The mushrooms on his arms shrivel up as he approaches the main cell.

The lava flows back down behind him, then the gate lowers in front of him.

Then… It's just Dream.

“Hello.” Dream says, his voice almost hollow, like it was a million miles away.

“Hey.” George replies, not stepping forward.

“I didn’t think you’d come.” Dream finally looks away from George, turning to stand in front of a clock.

“It’s not like you asked me to come.”

“I thought it would be obvious,” Dream removes the object from the wall. “When your best friend ends up in Prison, usually you visit.”

“Usually.” George looks back at the lava. ‘Sam is just on the other side’ he tells himself.

“Well I’d say, in this case, you should have visited sooner. At the very least before Bad.” Dream puts the clock back, before taking it back off the wall again. “Before Sapnap maybe.”

“Why do you keep doing that?”

“Doing what?” Dream turns quickly, tossing the clock directly atGeorge, who ducks. The clocks burning in the lava.

“What the hell-”

“Still sleeping your life away? Is that why you didn’t visit?” Dream approaches slowly. “You always seemed to like doing that after L’Manbug blew up…”

“After what?” George asked. The last time he saw L’Manbug was today, standing tall. Tommy and Tubbo and- ‘oh’ the thought, ‘that was the other one… I’m asleep now.’

“Of course, you were asleep when that happened…” Dream laughed lightly. “What do you do in the little head of yours.”

“...” George didn’t respond.

“Come one. You don’t visit me. So give me this.” He places a hand on George’s shoulder, who immediately pushes it off.

“Don’t touch me.”

“Where do you go when you fall asleep… when you wake up.”

“How do you…” George stammers.

“A little birdy told me. Or… I guess a bird to another bird, then to me…” Dream circles around George. “What’s it like then?”

“It’s the same as here.” George holds himself back.

“Mmm… liar.”

“I’m not-”

“If it's the same then you wouldn’t be trying to spend all your time there. Now would you,” Dream stopped walking, his ankles pressing together. “I bet… I bet no one fights. And we all spend time together. No one’s dead. Wilbur’s dead. Did you know?”

“Of course I know,” George says, he’s lying.

“It’s fake you know.” Dream says, almost phrasing it as a question.

“No it’s…” George stops himself.

“Oh…” Dream sighs. “You’ve forgotten haven’t you… which one is real…”

“They’re both real. I think… therefore I am.” George says, desperately wanting to leave.

“That saying doesn’t apply here,” Dream taps his chin. “The other one is fake.”

“W-what?”

“Ask the other dream, he'll say it’s real, that’s how you’ll know it’s not.”

“But isn’t that what you’re saying?” George takes a step back.

“No no… I’m not saying _this one_ is real. I’m saying that one is fake,” Dream grins, as though what he said actually had meaning.

A drop fell from the crying obsidian onto George’s cheek. 

“What are you doing? Dream asked, “are you going to pick one? Do you _have_ the real one? Afraid it’s this one? What’s wrong with it?”

“...”

“Too real?”

“...”

“Life sucks huh?”

“Dream… don’t-”

“Say hello to him-”

Then George wakes up, sitting up, grasping desperately at his arms. Cold sweat runs down his face. Did Dream just knock him out?

“George?-” Dream places a hand on his shoulder. George stumbles back, pushing Dream away.

“Don’t touch me- don’t-”

“What’s going on?” Sapnap rubs his eye,sitting up, the back of his hair lighting up like a halo from the last embers of the fire. “Are you okay?”

“I have to pick…” George rambles. “He’s making me pick- he’s-”

“Who?” Dream stands, placing his hands on George’s shoulders. “Hey- hey, look at me.”

“Is this real?” George asks, not wanting an answer. “Am I awake right now? Or did I fall asleep?”

“What?-” dream asks, making eye contact with George, who’s shaking his head wildly. “Of course this is real. You’re awake. He can’t hurt you.”

“No-” George tears himself away from Dream, slipping from his grasp. He stumbles away from Sapnap and Karl who both try to grab him.

He runs.

He wonders if this is what dying feels like.

~~

George sits alone on the pier, his feet just barely touching the water, he swings them back and forth, watching the ripples form. A fog had settled over greater L’manburg, the thick air making the water smooth and glassy

“Are you doing okay?”

George looks up to find Ranboo standing over him, book in hand. George nods, watching as he sits, his feet becoming fully submerged in the water. 

“Long legs.” Ranboo says, looking at his now waterlogged shoes and damp dress pants. He rolls up the end. “Armor is a handy thing.”

“How’s the husband? And kid?” George asks, only really knowing two things about Ranboo. That and he has a bad memory.

“Hm? What?”

And apparently one of those things isn’t true here.

“Sorry… it was a joke…”

“Oh… okay. Okay…”

They watch the sunrise together.the sun is only a blurry through the fog. A smudge a million miles away.

“You have a bad memory… right?”

“Uh yeah,” Ranboo laughs. “Kinda my thing.”

“May I ask you something? You’ll forget, right?”

“Uh… I don’t think that that’s how that works… but you can ask anyways.”

“Never mind… I’ll just…” George sighs. Letting himself open up. Just a little. “If I fall asleep here… will you stay?”

“Uh… yeah sure. Kinda weird.”

George leans back, back pressing against the uneven wooden planks. He imagines his body on the other side. Sprawled across the glassy obsidian floor.

He closes his eyes. Letting out a sigh. Maybe out of relief. Maybe out of fear.

And George allows himself to wake.

The world was a blinding white, tearing at his sensitive eyes. He stands in the vast emptiness, his legs shaking.

“So you’ve decided?” a voice asks. No where. Everywhere.

“What?”

An ender eye appears in front of him, growing larger, less colorful, forming and X and D on its surface. Wings spout from it’s side. A robe falls to the floor. Circles of gold form around the head, covered in eyes.

“You’ve decided which one is real?”

The memories rush back to him. Being alone in the forest. Meaning a traveller. Making a deal. Waking. Falling asleep. Wonder if that what dying felt like.

“Have I decided… which one is real?”

“Or may they both are? And you’ve decided which one you want to stay in.”

“...”

“Finally get some real sleep. Once it removes itself from existence…”

“I don’t… understand…”

“When was the last time you actually dreamt?”

“Is this what dying feels like?” George asks. Finally getting his question out to the world. To the one ‘person’ who could answer him.

“Oh George…” XD sighs… “Why would I know?”

“Why wouldn’t you?”

“... Death is an evil. That’s what the Gods think. Or they would die…”

And George wakes, back pressed against a familiar surface. Light blinding him.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> If you're confused: Whenever George falls asleep he wakes up in a different world, one where L'manburg is still there, everyone is alive, and his friends still hang together. but he's lost track if that one or the one where Dream is in prison is the actual real world. DreamXD lets him make his decision on which one he want to go back to forever, never to see the other one again.


End file.
